National Work Zone Awareness Week 2007: Moving into a Better Future

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) 2007 will be observed April 2-6 across the country. Kicking off the week will be a media event on April 3 near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge outside of Washington, DC, hosted by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). This year's theme is "Signs of Change," highlighting that today's work zones produce tomorrow's improved roadways, resulting in smoother rides, better traffic flow, and safer travel. At the same time, motorists are reminded that they should slow down and be alert to signs indicating changing conditions
as they travel through work zones. In 2004, 1,068 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in work zones.

NWZAW was established in 1999 by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Over the past 8 years, awareness of the effort has continued to grow, as many State transportation departments and industry partners sponsor observances and community events. NWZAW 2006 was also observed overseas in the United Kingdom.

Events held across the United States in 2006 included the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) Worker's Memorial ceremony to remember the 56 WSDOT employees who have lost their lives in work zones since 1950. WSDOT's observances this year will include distributing a public
service announcement that features Greg Biffle, a NASCAR driver from Camas, Washington. In Virginia, VDOT took its work zone safety campaign to high schools, with presentations about the consequences of unsafe driving in work zones. VDOT's goal is to reach 30,000 students during the 2006-07 school year.

For more information about NWZAW 2007, contact James Baron at ATSSA, 800-272-8772, ext. 113 (email:
JimB@atssa.com), or Morris Oliver at FHWA, 202-366-2251 (email: morris.oliver@fhwa.dot.gov). Information is also available at www.atssa.com/cs/work-zone-safety-awareness. For more details on work
zone safety, visit the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse at wzsafety.tamu.edu.